Hybrid miniature rose plant named &#34;Weklips&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new hybrid miniature rose for garden decorating. The plant is of a dwarf, bushy, upright growth habit suitable for growing outdoor and may be distinguished from other presently available rose cultivars by the following combination of characteristics: abundant production of flowers, pointed buds, two-toned lavender coloration, and above average disease resistance and vigor, especially when compared to other lavender Miniatures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hybrid miniaturerose. The plant is of a dwarf, bushy, upright growth habit suitable forgrowing outdoor and may be cultivated for garden decoration. It was bredby Thomas F. Carruth in Canoga Park, Calif., and has as its seed parent,the rose known as "Shocking Blue" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,846) and as itspollen parent, the rose known as "Helen Boehm". The varietaldenomination of the new variety is "Weklips".

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety may be distinguished from other presently availablecommercial rose cultivars by the following combination ofcharacteristics: pointed buds and well-formed flowers, two-tonedlavender flower coloration essentially as described and illustratedherein, and above average disease resistance and vigor (especially whencompared to other lavender miniature roses). Weklips may be propagatedby cuttings, budding, grafting and tissue culture.

Asexual propagation of the new variety as performed in Kern County,Calif., shows that the foregoing and other distinguishingcharacteristics come true to perform and are established and transmittedthrough succeeding propagations.

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, Shocking Blue,by the following combination of characteristics: whereas the seed parentis a hybrid floribunda, the new variety is a hybrid miniature. WhereasShocking Blue bears flowers with a pronounced fragrance, the newcultivar has little perceivable fragrance in its flowers.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, HelenBoehm, by the following combination of characteristics: whereas thepollen parent bears flowers of a light pink coloration, the new varietybears flowers of a two-toned lavender coloration essentially asdescribed and illustrated herein. Whereas the new variety is veryvigorous and abundant in its flowering, the pollen parent issignificantly less vigorous under similar climatic conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the plant in color and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in an illustration of this character.Throughout this description color names and values are based upon theColour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England,except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description pertains to roses of the new cultivar grownoutdoor in November, 1989 in Kern County and in Upland, Calif. and isbelieved to apply to plants of the variety grown elsewhere in similarconditions of soil and climate.

FLOWER

The new variety bears its flowers singly, and in clusters of five ormore per stem. Flowers are borne in regular rounded clusters on strongmedium long stems for the class. Outdoor the plant blooms veryabundantly and nearly continuously during the growing season. Theflowers have little fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is of short to average length for the class, of average toheavy caliper, and usually erect and stiff. It is moderately smooth withsome stipitate glands and some hairs. Peduncle color is near to betweenYellow-Green 144A and Green 137B.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is of medium to large size for theclass, medium length, and pointed to ovoid in shape. The surface of thebud bears some foliaceous appendages and some stipitate glands, usuallywith slender foliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud equalto 1/2 or more of its length. Bud color is near to between Yellow-Green147A and Green 137B.

The inner surface of the sepals is lined with fine wooly tometum: sepalmargins are lined with some stipitate glands and many hairs.

As the first petals open, the bud is medium to large for the class,medium to long length, and moderately pointed to ovoid in form. Thecolor of the outside surface of the newly opened petals is near tobetween Red-Purple 64A and Red 53A. The color of the inside surface ofthe newly opened petals is near to between Red-Purple 70C and Red-Purple63D. The bud does open up well and is not prevented from opening by wetor dry weather.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom is moderately large for the class, rangingfrom 4 to 5.5 cm. in diameter. Petalage is double with 15 to 20 petalsand 0 to 2 petaloids arranged regularly. When partially open, the bloomform is moderately cupped to high centered, and the petals are somewhatcupped to undulated with petal edges somewhat rolled outward. When fullyopen, the bloom form is somewhat flat to cupped, and the petals aremoderately flat to undulated with petal edges somewhat rolled outward.

PETALS

The petals are of moderately heavy substance and of medium thickness,with inside surfaces slightly satiny to velvety and outside surfacesslightly shiny to satiny. The outside petals are broadly ovate toobovate in shape with apices somewhat rounded and sometimes slightlynotched with one or more notches. The inside petals are less broadlyovate to obovate in shape with apices somewhat rounded to flat andsometimes slightly notched with one or more notches.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The following describes the color values observed in flowers on a plantgrown outdoor in Upland, Calif. in the month of November. Colors may bemodified by being washed or shaded or tinted with other colors.

The outside surface of the outer petals is near to between Red-Purple64B and Red-Purple 61B. The inside surface of the outer petals is nearto between Red-Purple 70C and Red-Purple 63D.

The outside surface of the intermediate and inner petals is near tobetween Red-Purple 64C and Red-Purple 61C. The inside surface of theintermediate petals and inner petals is near to between Red-Purple 70Cto D and Red-Purple 62C.

The general color effect of the newly opened flower is near to betweenRed-Purple 70C to D and Red-Purple 62C.

THREE DAY OLD FLOWER

The outside surface of the outer petals is near to between Red-Purple67A to D and Red-Purple 63A. The inside surface of the outer petals isnear to between Red-Purple 68C and Red-Purple 64A to D.

The outside surface of the inner petals is near to between Red-Purple64C to D and Red-Purple 67A to D. The inside surface of the inner petalsis near to between Red-Purple 70D and Red-Purple 63D.

The general color effect of the three day old flower is near to betweenRed-Purple 70D and Red-Purple 64D.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly and are notparticularly affected by wet or dry weather.

In November, blooms on the bush growing in the garden generally lastfrom four to five or more days. Cut roses grown outdoor and kept atnormal indoor living temperatures generally last five or more days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are average to many in number and are arranged regularly aboutthe pistil. The filaments are of moderately short to medium length, mostwith anthers. The anthers are medium sized for the class and all openapproximately at the same time. Anther color is near to Yellow-Orange22B when immature and near to between Greyed-Orange 167B andYellow-Orange 22C at maturity. Pollen is very abundant and near toGreyed-Yellow 162D in color.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils are somewhat few to average in number (approximately 35). Thestyles are somewhat even, moderately short to average length, average incaliper, and somewhat loosely bunched. Stigma color is near to betweenYellow-White 158C and Yellow-Orange 19D. Ovaries are usually allenclosed in the calyx.

Hips on this variety when grown in Upland, Calif. are of short toaverage length, somewhat ovoid to globular in form, and near to Orange24B in color when ripe. The hip surface is somewhat smooth withmoderately thick fleshy walls. The sepals fall soon. Seeds are averageto many in number (approximately 8 to 16), and moderately large in sizefor the class.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of compound three to fiveleaflets and are borne abundantly. The leaves are moderately large forthe class, somewhat heavy in texture, and somewhat semi-glossy infinish. The leaflets are shaped moderately oval to ovate with somewhatacute to mucronate apices and very round bases. Their margins areusually simply dentate to irregular.

The upper surface of the mature leaf is near to between Yellow-Green147A and Green 139A. The under surface of the mature leaf is near tobetween Green 138B and Greyed-Green 191B. The upper surface of the youngleaf is near to between Yellow-Green 147A and Green 137B, sometimeslightly suffused with near Greyed-Purple 184B. The under surface of theyoung leaf is between Green 138B and Greyed-Green 191B, moderatelysuffused with near Greyed-Purple 184B.

The rachis is moderately heavy in caliper and somewhat rough to groovedwith many hairs and stipitate glands. The under side of the rachis ismoderately rough with some stipitate glands and prickles.

The stipules are somewhat medium in length with somewhat narrow widthand medium to long straight points that usually turn out at an angle ofless than 45 degrees.

The plant displays an above average degree of resistance to powderymildew and rust as compared to other commercial varieties grown undercomparable conditions in Upland, Calif.

GROWTH

The plant is of a dwarf, bushy, upright of medium height habit for theclass with very full branching. It displays very vigorous growth and thecanes are of moderately medium to heavy caliper for the class.

The major stems are near to between Green 137C and Yellow-Green 147B.They bear few large prickles which are medium length for the class. Thelarge prickles are almost straight pointed slightly downward with asomewhat short to medium length somewhat broad base; prickle color isnear Greyed-Orange 167D. The major stem bears few small prickles whichare near Greyed-Orange 167D in color. There are no hairs.

The branches are near to between Green 137C and Yellow-Green 146B. Theybear few large prickles which are medium length for the class, the largeprickles are almost straight pointed slightly downward with a somewhatshort to medium length somewhat broad base; prickle color is nearGreyed-Orange 167B. The branches bear few small prickles which are nearGreyed-Orange 167B in color. There are no hairs.

The new shoots are near to between Green 137B and Yellow-Green 146Aoften lightly suffused with near Greyed-Purple 184B. They bear few largeprickles which are medium length for the class. The large prickles arealmost straight pointed slightly downward with a somewhat short tomedium length somewhat broad base; prickle color is near Greyed-Purple184B. The shoots bear few small prickles which are near Greyed-Purple184B in color. There are no hairs.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of hybrid miniature rose plantsubstantially as shown and described, characterized by the plant'sabundant production of flowers, pointed buds, flowers of two-tonedlavender coloration, and above average disease resistance and vigor ascompared to other lavender miniatures.